Eastlink, Hotel, etc. The great petrol waster - Bad for fuel economy - fuel consumption

Say No > Eastlink: The great petrol waster - Bad for fuel economy - fuel consumption

Introduction to The great petrol waster

Eastlink is a tollway opened in 2008, linking the outer north eastern and south eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. If you live in Victoria, chances are, you will already know all about this.

Where and how it wastes my fuel

Let's face it: Eastlink wastes my petrol. And probably yours too. In most of my work journeys, I go from the inner suburbs to the outer eastern suburbs, usually taking one of the following roads:

Ferntree Gully Road
High Street Road
Burwood Highway

Almost everytime I use the above roads, I cross over Eastlink. And eight times out of ten, the traffic lights are red, or turn red as I approach an Eastlink intersection.

What does this mean? I am forced to stop. Forced to stop at a motorway that was supposedly meant to save time and money. Turning momentum into wasted heat. A reduction in the fuel efficiency and economy of my vehicle.

Eastlink has wasted my time and money. I have no need to travel from north to south in the outer eastern suburbs. If it were toll-free, I wouldn't have a complaint. But the fact that Eastlink causes me to waste time and money (i.e. petrol costs) AND costs money to use AND is of little use to me makes me furious.

They're greedy

Worse still, Eastlink is greedy. Why? Let's look at an example - Citylink. I can ride my motorcycle through Melbourne's Citylink tollways without paying a cent. Transurban (operator of Citylink) were smart enough to waive the tolls for motorcyclists, knowing full well that motorcycles pollute much less than cars. Motorcyclists are rewarded for their good deeds. However, Eastlink provides no rewards for two-wheelers. Granted, the tolls for motorcycles on Eastlink are half that of cars, but having to go through the inconvenience of maintaining an account and paying the tolls and fees is sobering enough to make anyone ditch the idea altogether.

Eastlink is a waste of money

A fake hotel - you can look, but don't try to stop to check in. It's only artwork. Like many pieces of art (especially government-funded types), art can be a waste of money. The fake hotel is no exception. If anything, the fake hotel is a distraction to drivers travelling on Eastlink for the first time, trying to see how to get to it.

Update: Motorists complain of false fines from faulty speed cameras

Moved to Eastlink Speed Camera - Faulty cameras, speeding fines

See also: Traffic Light Intelligence - Australian Traffic Lights are dumb

Comments

barrie b, Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:17 pm: Reply

Re Eastlink speed cameras Feb 2010 Wellington Rd Bridge two fines at 108km/h one at 119km/h
Dandenong bypass bridge one 105km/h 107km/m 113km/h six fines in one month not bad for a non speeder, will contest this vigorously, happy to join mass class action.

conrad walker, Sat, 13 Mar 2010 09:45 pm: Reply

also happy to join a class action as i have had 4 speeding fines in the last two months and they take so long to get the fines out to you 2.5months to get the letters /fines through the post, this is so wrong in any other country the law states they have to issue the speeding fines with in 14days and not 2.5 months

Carla, Wed, 18 Aug 2010 02:32 pm: Reply

Why should motorbikes be completely off the hook with fines? You are still using the road, and benefit from the maintenance of the road and the work involved in constructing it (both money and time). It is fair enough that the tolls are reduced, because your contribution to the need for maintenance is less than that of a car, but to ride for free is not your right.

Citylink was nice enough to allow motorcyclists to ride free, whatever their motives, but to complain that eastlink doesn't is unmerited, and frankly makes you sound like a whiny child.

Stop acting so entitled and complaining over a matter of cents. Motorcyclists are just motorists like any car or truck or van or scooter, and the fact that your vehicle gives off less pollution is fantastic, but doesn't mean you have earned your right to drive where and when you like for free. You already don't have to pay for parking either, so I don't even know why you feel so hard done by when it comes to eastlink tolls.

Carla, Wed, 18 Aug 2010 02:33 pm:

Note in the first sentence, i meant to say tolls.

SpanishMan, Wed, 17 Nov 2010 11:28 am: Reply

I think this guys is stupid. If you stop at a set of lights, whether you're a motorbike rider or not means you are OBEYING the law and obeying the system. Simple. Whether it "costs" you time and money to stop at traffic lights is irrelevant and it's like arguing that having to cue at a bank or a train stop is costing you time and money. Well..dogh mate... we all have to do it unless you want to live like a hermit in India go right ahead... but in this society it costs mate... that's life. Get over it.
As to riding OVER a freeway... hahhh... but how is a freeway OVERPASS meant to make things faster for you? Traffic lights are traffic lights.
And for the record, I don't drive a motorbike. I ride a Colnago C40 bicycle worth more than your bike!

ken, Wed, 28 Mar 2012 02:30 am: Reply

i have the estlink right behind my house in dandenong north and everynight after midnight i hear trucks using their engine brakes! i just wish eastlink or eaststink as my family calls it should never of happened as we had a lovely view of a paddock and horses before the eastlink bloody came through.

Lins, Wed, 28 Mar 2012 09:20 am:

So sorry you want to live near a city and cannot view horses etc. move to the middle of nowhere if that's what you want although I assume you use a car and not a horse and cart. Cities - roads - noise - thats life.

OttoAu, Fri, 18 May 2012 12:39 pm: Reply

Is it possible to take a girl to this hotel and have sex with her?
Or is it not operational?
Is it like those Motel F1's?
Thanks

P. Ness, Fri, 08 Jun 2012 02:16 pm:

Yes, it can be your very own rape dungeon. Good luck!

KB, Wed, 29 Apr 2015 04:23 pm: Reply

re: The great petrol waster
We are supposed to be the clever country, our engineers instead of going around with a blind fold should actually look at access and exit designs overseas, on most there are no traffic lights, only merging lanes

MTR